Supervisors to score Robertson’s CAFO application

By DIANE VANCE, Ledger staff writer | Dec 10, 2012

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 26 in the county courthouse about Ryan Robertson’s construction permit application for a confinement feeding operation that would add 1,476 swine to his 2,200-head operation north of Pleasant Plain.

The supervisors plan to score the Master Matrix at next week’s regular board meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. Dec. 17, in the first floor meeting room at the courthouse.

A year ago, Robertson’s KK Finisher applied for a permit to expand at the same site, 1031 Quince Ave., in Penn Township, and twice failed to meet the minimum 440 points out of a total of 880 on the Master Matrix.

The proposal now is to build “one new 1,200 head deep pit swine finisher barn at an existing confinement facility.”

The “animal unit capacity of the operation after expansion will be 1,476 animal units for a total of 3,690 head of swine finishers.”

Supervisor chairman Steve Burgmeier asked today’s audience member Diane Rosenberg, executive director of Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors Inc., and others present, to provide him with public comments expressed at last year’s hearing for KK Finishers.

Rosenberg agreed she could do that.

Robertson’s application is on file at the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office and is available for public inspection from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Written comments may be filed at the county auditor’s office, until 4:30 p.m. Dec. 26 or at public hearing.

Supervisors listened to plans to expand Liberty Subdivision at 32nd Street on the north side of Libertyville Road. Owner Robert Hougher brought drawings to the supervisors meeting today, wanting to add seven lots for development.

“Lots one, two and three are sold,” he said.

West Hills Drive goes to his own residence and another privately-owned road, 55-feet wide and a cul-de-sac would be constructed for the new development.

Supervisors raised concerns about the cul-de-sac being large enough for fire trucks’ turn-around and if the land had been reviewed for corn suitability rating.

“We don’t approve subdivisions without looking at CSR,” said supervisor Dick Reed. “And we really ought run this by the fire chief for the cul-de-sac.”

Hougher said the land is all in timber since 1981 and 14 houses are already residences in the subdivision.

“No cars will be parking on the cul-de-sac,” he said.

Burgmeier said cul-de-sacs should be 100-foot in radius, and county engineer Scott Cline said public county roads are required to be 66-feet wide.

“I think it’s the right place for a subdivision,” said Reed. “I’m not comfortable without finding out the radius requirement for the cul-de-sac.”

Reed dialed Fairfield Fire Chief Scott Vaughan and left a message.

Burgmeier asked if Hougher could extend his plans for the road from 55-feet to 66-feet wide, and that would adjust the cul-de-sac to be larger.

Hougher said he could widen the road without taking away from the size of the lots, it would only affect the easements. He agreed to check with the fire chief and the supervisors will put the subdivision approval on next week’s agenda.

In other business, the supervisors re-appointed Terri Diers to the county conservation board; and Cline reported the review board approved all of Jefferson County’s requests as submitted for designation of farm-to-market roads.

“Iowa Department of Transportation will update maps and work out the final mileage,” said Cline. “It should be implemented in a few months.”